This document describes the features and injuries caused by different types of sharp weapons including knives, daggers, and swords. It explains that these weapons can cause injuries ranging from cuts, bruises, and abrasions to puncture wounds and bone fractures depending on whether the edge is sharp or blunt. The documents also notes that the nature of the weapon and the type of injuries it produces can provide clues about how it was used and the positions of the assailant and victim.

1. Dr. Salam Bitam Singh
Senior Resident

2. Description: It is a light, hard, non
flexible, sharp cutting Weapon with a
pointed tip, having two parts
1. Metal blade: it has got two surfaces,
two edges (one is sharp- cutting and
the other is blunt), and two ends (one
is a pointed tip and the other is fitted
with the handle.
2. Wooden handle: short, cylindrical
with a metallic ring at the distal end.

3. Injuries Produced:
 Pointed tip:
Stab/Punctured/penetrating/Perforating
wounds
 Sharp edge : Incised wounds
 Blunt edge: Abrasion/ Bruise/Laceration
 Surface of the blades: Abrasion bruise
 Wooden handle:
Abrasion/Bruise/Laceration and fracture
small bones.

4.  It is a dangerous weapon
 It can produce both simple and grievous
injuries.
 It may be used to produce injuries for Suicidal,
homicidal purposes as well as accidental
injuries and self – inflicted /fabricated wounds.
 Nature and the type of weapon can be
established from the wound produced.
 Relative position of the assailant and the victim
can be established.
Medico legal importance (MLI)

5. Description: It is a moderately heavy,
hard, non flexible, sharp cutting
Weapon with a pointed tip, having
two parts
1. Metal blade: it has got two surfaces,
two edges (one is sharp- cutting and
concave and the other is blunt and
convex and thicker) both the edges
tapered and meet distally to form, and
two ends (one is a pointed tip and the
other is fitted with the handle.
2. Wooden handle: short, cylindrical with
a metallic ring at the distal end.

6.  Pointed tip: Punctured/penetrating wounds
 Sharp edge :
 Incised wounds with one punctured wound
at the distal end, by the tip, when struck over
curve surface like deltoid ,arm, thigh etc.If it
is struck over flat surface like back of chest ,
abdomen : produce one incised wound with
minimum depth at the mid pint and dipper
at the ends with one punctured wound at the
distal end, if the force applied is less:
produce two incised wounds one proximal
and one distal in one line with a gap in
between.
 Cut fracture of the bone
 Chop wound

7.  Blunt edge: Abrasion/
Bruise/Laceration/fracture of
bones including gutter fracture
of skull bone
 Surface of the blades: Abrasion
bruise
 Wooden handle:
Abrasion/Bruise/Laceration
and fracture small bones.

8.  It is a dangerous weapon
 It can produce both simple and grievous
injuries.
 It may be used to produce injuries for Suicidal,
homicidal purposes as well as accidental
injuries and self – inflicted /fabricated wounds.
 Nature and the type of weapon can be
established from the wound produced.
 Relative position of the assailant and the victim
can be established.

9. Description: It is a moderately heavy, hard,
blunt, on flexible, more or less elongated
weapon, lower end is tipped with one
metal piece and the handle may be of
various shape and designs. When it is
opened by pulling the handle, it is seen to
be consisting of two parts.
1. One long bladed pointed tip knife , having a
wooden handle and two edges which meet
to form a pointed tip, one edge is sharp and
the proximal 2/3rd of the other end is blunt
while the distal 1/3rd is sharp.
2. The other is the wooden cover of the knife
having a groove inside like the shape of the
knife for its accommodation.

10.  By the Knife
 Pointed tip:
Incised/Punctured/penetrating/Per
forating wounds
 Sharp edge : Incised wounds
 Blunt edge: Abrasion/
Bruise/Laceration
 Weapon as a whole :
Abrasion/Bruise/Laceration and
fracture small bones.
 Wooden handle: Abrasion/Bruise.

11.  It is a dangerous weapon
 It can produce both simple and
grievous injuries.
 It may be used to produce injuries for
Suicidal, homicidal purposes as well as
accidental injuries and self – inflicted
/fabricated wounds.
 Nature and the type of weapon can be
established from the wound produced.
 Relative position of the assailant and
the victim can be established.
 It can be used to produce strangulation.

12. Description: It is a moderately heavy,
hard, non flexible, sharp cutting
Weapon, having two parts
1. Metal blade: it has got two flat
surfaces, two edges (one is sharp-
cutting and and the other is blunt
and thicker) both the edges
gradually and two ends (one is a
blunt and the other is fitted with the
handle.
2. Wooden handle: short, cylindrical
with a metallic ring at the distal end.

13.  Sharp edge : Incised
wounds,Cut fracture of the
bone,Chop wound
 Blunt edge: Abrasion/
Bruise/Laceration/fracture of
bones including gutter fracture
of skull bone
 Surface of the blades: Abrasion
bruise
 Wooden handle:
Abrasion/Bruise/Laceration
and fracture small bones.

14.  It is a dangerous weapon
 It can produce both simple and grievous
injuries.
 It may be used to produce injuries for Suicidal,
homicidal purposes as well as accidental injuries
and self – inflicted /fabricated wounds.
 Nature and the type of weapon can be
established from the wound produced.
 Relative position of the assailant and the victim
can be established.